PUPILS at a York school are set to be given an unusual problem to solve in lessons -how to ride on a bus.

While sums and science are traditionally the cornerstone subjects in the classroom, teachers are to add public transport to the school curriculum.

City of York Council has teamed up with bus company First and Lakeside Primary School to trial a series of lessons which will teach youngsters how to use the bus.

While it may not be the most difficult lesson the ten-year-olds at Lakeside will ever have to face, council bosses say the project will carry a serious message.

Catherine Elliott, the council's school travel co-ordinator, said many youngsters were unsure about using buses because they did not know what to do or where to get off.

Now Lakeside pupils are to plan a bus voyage in York on June 11, using the internet to map out their journeys before taking their new-found knowledge on to the streets and on to a First service around the city.

Ms Elliott said: "Although this may surprise some adults, a lot of today's youngsters do not have the skills to use a bus.

"A lot of parents have experiences that are often two decades out of date and can pass on negative impressions.

"We want to encourage children to utilise this form of travel, but it is not simple for a young child to learn how to pay, how to behave on a bus and know at which stop to alight.

"If children have a positive experience through this project they will update their parents and, hopefully, will continue to use the bus."

Jonathan May, managing director of First, said: "This is to show children the importance of public transport. It will stress the benefits to the environment and hopefully encourage children to see the bus as a means of effective high-quality transport."

If the project in June proves successful, the scheme is set to be rolled out to other schools - said to be very enthusiastic - in September.

Updated: 10:31 Thursday, May 22, 2003